Spektrum Iran

Abstrakt In 1922, Hugo von Hofmannsthal described the city of the Kingdom of Vienna in his „Viennese Letter” as the eastern gateway to Europe. His perception of the Orient probably referred to the Ottoman territory, which also meant the Iranian and Arab world. He considered himself a citizen of the Habsburg Empire, which housed various nations and whose capital was a gateway that reached the West from the outside. Furthermore, it could also open the world of culture to the nations of the East. In the 19th and 20th centuries, interest in the Orient was not only found in literature, but also in paintings, architecture and music. For example, the Arsenal in Vienna is influenced by Andalusian-Islamic architecture. And the Zacherl factory in the Döbling district of Vienna has a mosque-like appearance under the influence of Islamic architecture. Moreover, traces of oriental melodies can be recognized in some of Franz Schubert’s pieces of music.